Railway-track construction.



y PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. E. E. CLEMENT.

PATENTED 00T 24, 1905.

E. E. CLEMENT. RAILWAY TRACK CGNSTRUGTION'.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

No. 802,915. PATENTBD OCT. 24, 1905.

E. E. CLEMENT.

' RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG. a. 1905.

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,'NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. EDWARD E. CLEMENT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA RAILWAY-TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed August 3, 1905. Serial No. 272,534.

To all whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. CLEMENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Track Construction, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to means for and methods of railway-track construction and to the structure produced thereby.

More specically stated, the invention relates to railway-track construction of that type wherein a concrete foundation is used, the rails being directly supported thereon. In such construction there is always more or less shrinkage of the concrete, and the matter of setting and supporting the rails and other parts cooperating therewith calls for special design in order to secure a permanent and accurate alinement and adjustment of all the parts.

It is one object of the present invention to secure this perfect alinement and adjustment of all the parts.

Another object of the invention is to produce a track system for electric railways having surface contacts for supplying current to the passing cars or trains, all contacts and other parts, as well as the rails themselves,A

being permanently and solidly supported upon and carried by a mass or masses of composition, to which they are anchored o-r in which they may be embedded in such Inanner that their relative positions and adjustment will be easily secured and permanently maintained.

According to this invention, broadly stated, a suitable trench or trenches being prepared, temporary supporting devices or ties are laid across the trench. Upon these the rails are supported and roughly alined. Yokes or anchors are hung upon the rails, and the contact devices are also hung upon or adjusted from the rails, there being thus a common reference of all the connected parts to the rails as the base for adjustment. Beneath the contact devices and intermediate of the rails a small trench is first excavated and the feeder-cable laid therein. After the parts are in position and adjusted to the extent required in the rough the trenches are filled with concrete or other composition, and after this is set the rails are iinally permitted to come upon the concrete and the various temporary supporting devices or ties are removed.`

The invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure l is a transverse section of a track structure produced according to and embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar section priorto completion, showing the temporary supporting devices for the contactblocks. Fig. '3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 is a side View, showing a temporary supportingtie and the contact-supporting means attached to a rail. The supporting structure shown herein is preferably formed as a monolith or continuous unbroken mass of concrete or artificial stone. In some cases segregated masses of concrete may be employed supporting the rails and conduit at intervals after the manner of ties; but the principal embodiment of this invention is in a monolithic structure. This preferably comprises two longitudinal masses extending along the sides of the track, each beneath one line of rails, these being connected by a horizontal web of the same material, which serves the ldouble purpose of connecting the side bodies and of making asolid foundation for the road-surface and the contact-bodies and supports beneath the rail's. Suitable reinforcingrods are embedded in this horizontal body and also, if desired, in the side bodies at intervals, `the cross-rods having their ends extending down and embedded in the masses of the side bodies. In each side body metallic anchors or yokes are provid ed at intervals. also embedded in the masses, and upon this means are secured y for holdingI down and adjusting the rails. The rails rest upon the concrete Without bearing upon the yokes, although held down by the latter, and the central contact-bodies also rest upon the concrete, being surfaced thereby and not resting their weight 4upon their connections with the feeder-conduit, although held down thereby or by special yokes, if desired. In order to secure the various ends desired, use is made of certain temporary devices in laying the track and the contact-bodies, which will be fully set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, A is the roadsurface, paved with blocks a or in any other i suitable manner, this surface paving resting on a layer of sand s. The rails B rest upon the solid body of concrete D, which extends across the'horizontal surface g of the earth Grand into the side trenches g, cut longitudinally beneath the rails. This mass of concrete extends along the track continuously and at IOO IIO

I tie.

' holding screws or bolts.

intervals has embedded in it the reinforcingrods E, having their ends e bent down into the side trenches in order to gain a firm anchorage in the side bodies. At intervals in each side body a yoke C is embedded, consisting,

preferably, of an open frame with flanged sides c and provided at its upper end with opposite lugs c4, within which work the adjusting-screws c5, these confining between them the holding-blocks and vertical screws or' bolts c2, the foot b3 of the rail B being embraced between these holding-blocks, and the rail being therefore adjustable to exact gage by manipulating the screws 05.

In setting the rails and contacts the hori- Zontal trench is first excavated and surfaced, as at g', and the longitudinal trench for the feeder-conduit, as g2. In the latter the conduit K is laid in a bed of concrete g3. Temporary cross-ties are then supported transversely in the trench g', the rails laid thereon, and roughly brought to gage. Itis preferable for this purpose to use the form of cross-tie shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which consists of a wooden body portion H, surmounted by the channel member H', suitably secured thereto and of a length greater than that of the body portion H. The overhanging ends thus produced facilitate the attachment and detachment of the rails, while the body portion H is adapted to the operation of surfacing the rails by tamping up under a At each end of the tie the overhanging channel portion is perforated by the slotted holes tt', through the enlarged portion of which the head of the bolt z' freely slips to be engaged by the slotted portion of the hole for the purpose of clamping the rail and tie by means of the clips j j" and nutsl 7610. Having secured the rails to the temporary ties, the side trenches g are dug and the yokes or anchors C hung upon the rails. In this part of the process shims or distance-pieces c3 are interposed between the rail-foot b3 and the head of each yoke. In finishing these are removed, as well as the temporary ties, leaving the rails, as shown, raised from the yokes and adjustably held down thereby upon the concrete.

In the drawings a type of rail in common use is shown at B, with a head t', a high web b, and a groove b2, having' an inclined face. The concave sides of the rail-figure are filled out by means of the special blocks a', which it will be observed do not take Aor transmit any strains and which clear the adjusting and Any other form of rail or any new rail of the same form can be substituted for the rails shown without in any material degree disturbing or injuring the main body of the concrete bed. Moreover, the road-surface may be prepared as desired and the same replaced from time to time without injury to the concrete.

In order to provide for the contacts, temporary supports O are placed upon the rails and secured thereto by means of clamps 03, bolted to the supports at 02. These supports, which also perform the function of standard gages, are preferably channel-irons, having webs 0 and side flanges 0, so that while they are-light enough to be readily handled and transported they are very stiff and strong. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each support is slotted at o4 for the bolts 02, and the length is such as to span a pair of rails. Intermediate of its ends each channel-beam O is drilled for bolts o5, by which the supporting body or matrix for the cond uit-body is suspended during the construction. The conduit structure preferably employed in this system is shown complete in Fig. l. laid in the intermediate trench g2, filled lwith concrete or cement g3. The surface contacts are distributed along this conduit at recurring intervals between the rails. Each contact device is indicated in its entirety by the letter M. Each comprises an insulating body or support m6, which is conveniently made of artificial stone or cement and which is centrally chambered to receive the switch-cup m3 and perforated on each side to take the bolts m5. vEach bolt is preferably permanently screwed in the block from beneath with its head countersunk and embedded in cement. The shrinkage on these bolts is sufficient to keep them from turning, but special means for that purpose may be provided, if desired. Each conduit-chamber is connected with the feeder conduit beneath by the branch L, which may be conveniently made of iron or other pipe, the upper end of which takes the drop-lip on a short a'nged section of pipe, molded in the body m6. Upon the body or block the metal cap-plate is screwed when the structure is complete by means of the bolts m5 and suitable nuts thereon. This cap-plate comprises two side bodies m ofv magnetic metal and an intermediate body m2 lof'nonmagnetic metal, which, however, should be very hard and a good conductor. Within the cup m3 a movable magnetic circuit-closer is placed and connected by a iexible pigtail with the upper end of the tap N from the feeder. In the upper part of the cup m3 is a fixed conduit, connected to the body m2. Upon the cars or the locomotive which operate upon this system magnets are provided in pairs extending along the bottom of the trucks between the wheels, and running along between the pairs of magnets are elongated contact-shoes, each preferably the length cfa car. With this arrangement if a car passes over the structure shown in Fig. l the side bodies m becomemagnetized and lift up between them the loose contact inside the cup, so that it touches the upper fixed contact, thereby completing the supply branch from the feeder through the tap N to the contactbody m2 and thence to the contact-shoe on the car which is passing over it. It is to be un- The feeder-conduit K is IOO derstood that this method of operating cars is not claimed herein, the present invention being confined to the track structure and the method of its production.

In building the road after the` temporary ties are in position and the rails supported thereon the condition is as represented in Fig. 2. rIhe feeder-conduit K has been laid, the trench-ties are in position, and over each one the contactblock m is suspended from the rails or the support thereof. In the illustration Fig. 2 the support already described is employed, it being obviously necessary for smooth and economical service of the road that the contacts should be uniformly and permanently adjusted with regard to the surface of the rails. As already stated, after the temporary supports of Figs. l2, 3, and 4 are in position the block m6 becomes automatically centered and adjusted by means of the channel-beams O. In order that it may be surfaced correctly, a pair of distance-pieces 06 are provided, which by their length determine the exact spacing between the lower face of the channel-beam and the upper face of the block m6. Each of these is oppositely threaded from its opposite ends and each is provided with a raised shouldered portion to take a wrench.

With the parts in the position shown the concrete is filled into the side trenches-to embed the anchors or yolres of the rails, also into the intermediate trenches to embed the iron cross-rods and the branch pipes; but this cross-web of concrete is preferably not completed until after the temporary ties are removed. The cross-filling is then completed, as shown in Fig. l, around lthe branch pipe and Linder the contact-blocksm. The filling about this block need not be tamped; but, if desired, some space may be left to be subsequently filled by grouting. The surfacing will be more accurate in this latter case, as the block will be permitted to settle `when the shims are removed from beneath the rails.

In some cases the intermediate trench g2 can be omitted, the feeder-conduit being laid upon the surface of the cross-trench g. The intermediate longitudinal trench is preferable because the temporary ties can be laid without any special provision for the conduit, being simply dropped across it.

It is to be distinctly understood that there are many changes possible to be made in this structure without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus it is contemplated to support the block ma and even the feeder connections and conduit, if desired, upon the temporary ties, the principal and governing requirement being that the parts shall be spaced and adjusted in common, so that when the structure is complete the contact-surfaces m2 and the various surface contacts M along the line will be definitely and uniformly placed with respect to the rails.

I-Iaving thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isy l. In railway-track construction, a air of rails, a monolithic body supporting bot rails and formed with heavy portions directly beneath the rails and a lighter cross connecting web, together with contact devices embedded in said body between the rails, substantially as described.

2. In railway-track construction, a pair of rails, a monolithic body supporting the rails and composed of heavy side portions or stringers,witha lighter cross connecting portion or web, together with contact-carrying bodies embedded in and also carried by said monolithic body at intervals along the rails, substantially as described.

3. In railway-track construction, a pair of rails, a monolithic body extending beneath and continuously supporting said rails throughout their length, reinforcing means embedded in said monolithic body, and contact devices also embedded in said body and bearing the same relation to the rails throughout their length, substantially asA described.

4. In railway-track construction, a pair of rails, and contact devices between the rails for supplying current to passing vehicles supported thereon, together with a monolithic body extending beneath and su porting both rails and contact devices, su stantially as described.

5. In railway-track construction, a pair of rails, and contact devices between the rails for supplying current to passing vehicles sup- IOO ported thereon, together with a monolithic ody having heavy side bodies or stringers extending beneath and supporting the rails, with a cross connecting-web connecting the stringers and supporting the contact devices, substantially as described.

6. In railway-track construction, a monolithic body having heavy side portions in the nature of stringers, together with an integral homogeneous cross connecting-web, reinforcing-rods embedded therein to strengthen the lweb, a series of anchors or yokes embedded in each Stringer, rails supported upon the stringers and adj ustably held by but not upon the yokes, and current-carrying devices supported and embedded in and upon said cross connecting-web in definite relation to the yokes and hence to the rails when adj ust' ed, substantially as described.

7. In a railway-track structure, sideyolres, a central conduit and contact devices for supplying current to cars, together with an integral homogeneous monolithic body carrying said yokes and other devices directly, and rails upon said yokes held down therebyupon the monolith, substantially as described. V

8. In a railway-track structure, a pair of rails, a contact device, and a monolithic composition support common to both, with IIO means to hold the rails and Contact devices said composition sup ort to be leveled and in definite relation to each other upon said supported therebysu stantially as described. io support throughout its length, substantially In testimony whereof I affix my signature as described. in presence of two Witnesses.

5 9. In a railway-track structure, rails and EDWARD E. CLEMENT.

contact devices therefor, a homogeneous Witnesses: monolithic composition support common to' ALEXANDER S. STEUAET,

both, and means to hold each directly upon JAMES H. MARR. 

